Butterflies are some of the most fascinating and beautiful insects in the world. Adult butterflies will live about 2 to 4 weeks. They use their senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste to survive in the world, find food and mates, lay eggs in an appropriate place, migrate, and avoid hungry enemies.
Butterflies have large compound eyes(复眼), which allow them to see in all directions without turning their heads. Like most insects, butterflies are very nearsighted, so they are more attracted to a sea of flowers than individual plants. Butterflies do not “see” colors such as red, green, and yellow, but they can sense sunlight, which indicates the direction the sun is shining, as well as ultraviolet light（紫外线）, which is present on many flowers and guides butterflies to honey sources.
Butterflies have a very well-developed sense of smell, but it is not in their nose, since they don't have one. Sense receptors are located in their antennae（触角）, feet, and many other parts of the body. They can help butterflies find their favorite flower honey food, and mates.
Butterflies' feet have sense organs that can taste the sugar in flower honey, letting the butterflies know if something is good to eat or not. Some females also carefully choose host plants by tasting to find appropriate places to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies feed their babies using a long tube. Butterflies force blood into the tube to straighten it out, allowing them to feed. Butterflies get all their food from this tube.
Butterflies don't have ears. Instead they “hear” sounds through their wings by sensing changes in sound vibrations（振动）.
Butterflies may possess senses we don't even know about yet, because their body structure is very different from ours, and therefore difficult to understand, when observed through our own human senses.What can we learn from the 2nd paragraph?
| A．Butterflies have good eyesight. |
| B．Butterflies can see in all directions and don't need to turn heads. |
| C．Butterflies are sensitive to bright colors including red and yellow. |
| D．Butterflies cannot sense the ultraviolet light. |
How do butterflies hear sounds?
| A．Using their feet to sense the vibration of things |
| B．Using their ears to listen directly |
| C．Using their wings to sense the sound vibrations |
| D．Using their antennae to judge the sound |
Why do female adult butterflies carefully choose the host plants?
| A．To find highqualified honey. |
| B．To have a good place for living. |
| C．To make it easier for them to hide from the enemies. |
| D．To find a proper place for their eggs. |
What does the last paragraph imply?
| A．There’s a long way to understand butterflies well |
| B．Butterflies give great help to human beings |
| C．Butterflies are the most beautiful insects in the world |
| D．Butterflies possess more senses than humans |
The text mainly focuses on ________.
| A．butterflies' living habits | B．butterflies' beauty |
| C．butterflies' daily activities | D．butterflies' senses |
Without most people realizing it, there has been revolution in office work over the last ten years. Before that time, large computers were only used by large rich companies that could afford the investment. With the advancement of technology, small computers have come onto the market which are capable of doing the work which used to be done by much larger and expensive computers, so now most smaller companies can use them.
The main development in small computers has been in the field of word processor system, or WPS as they are often called. 40% of British offices are now estimated to have a word processor and this percentage is growing fast.
There are many advantages in using a word processor for both secretary and manager. The secretary is freed from a lot of daily work, such as retyping letters and storing papers. He or she can use this time to do other more interesting work for the boss. From a manager's point of view, secretarial time is being made better use of and money can be saved by doing daily jobs automatically outside office hours.
But is it all good? If a lot of daily secretarial work can be done automatically, surely this will mean that fewer secretaries will be needed. Another worry is the increasing medical problems related to work with visual display units (显示器). The unease of a slow loss of sight among people using word processors seems to have risen greatly. It is also feared that if a woman works at a VDU for long hours, the unborn child in her body might be killed. Safety screens to put over a VDU have been invented but few companies in England bother to buy them.
Whatever the arguments for and against word processors, they are a key feature of this revolution in office practice.Ten years ago, large computers were only used by large companies because _________.
| A．small companies did not have enough money to buy such expensive computers |
| B．large computers could not do the work that small companies can do today |
| C．large computers did not come onto the market |
| D．small companies did not need to use this new technology |
According to the writer, the main progress made in office work over the last ten years is ________.
| A．the saving of time and money |
| B．the use of computers in big companies |
| C．the wide use of word processors |
| D．the decreasing number of secretaries |
We can infer from the passage that with the use of word processors, _________.
| A．some secretaries will lose their jobs |
| B．all jobs can be done automatically outside office hours |
| C．medical problems related to work with a VDU must have increased |
| D．the British companies will make less money |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are both advantages and disadvantages in using a word processor. |
| B．The British companies care much for the health of the people using word processors. |
| C．The technology in the field of computers has been greatly advanced over the last ten years. |
| D．Using word processors, secretaries can get more time to do more interesting work for their bosses. |
A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That’s the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed at least an ounce of salt-water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000 deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish. At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish.
During the next two decades, 78 of the men died from heart disease. The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese or Eskimos. This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol（胆固醇）levels.In which section of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．Ads | B．Movies |
| C．Briefs | D．Health and Diet |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．the high incidence of heart disease in some countries |
| B．the changes in people’s diet |
| C．the effect of fish eating on people’s health |
| D．the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures |
The phrase “this relationship” in paragraph 6 refers to the connection between ____ and the level of heart disease.
| A．the amount of fish eaten | B．regular fish-eating |
| C．the kind of fish eaten | D．people of different areas |
From the passage we know the author is most probably ___________.
| A．a heart doctor | B．a science researcher |
| C．a supporter of healthy eating | D．a university student |
Last week I was riding my special motorbike and then stopped at a convenience store. As I was getting my wheelchair off the back, a man watched me from his car and I noticed a wheelchair in his back seat. We spoke for a moment and I asked him about the wheelchair. He answered that it was for his daughter. “Well, do you think she would like to go for a ride on my motorbike with me?” I asked. He seemed shocked that a total stranger would ask him this. He thought about it for a second and said, “OK, as long as I can follow you.”
He introduced me to Amy and he sat her on my back seat. Her father followed me for a few miles and she talked non-stop about what she wanted for Christmas.
As we came back to the convenience store, she said, “This ride is the best Christmas present I could ever receive. I have been in a wheelchair my whole life and didn’t know I could do this.” I told her about some of the other things I do (ski, travel the world by myself, etc.). As her father was taking her off my bike, she turned to him and said, “Oh Daddy, I’m going to be OK. Mr. Bryant does all kinds of things, and I will too.” Her father turned away as a tear of joy rolled down his cheek. He hugged me and said, “I was sitting here praying for a gift for Amy that would encourage her. She often felt that her life was dull compared to other children. God answered my prayer just now. Now I pray that God will bless you for your gift to Amy today.” I believed what he said. Being kind and thoughtful to others, we can be an answer to prayer.How did the father feel at first when the author invited his daughter for a ride?
| A．He was happy because his daughter could gain excitement. |
| B．He felt surprised because he didn’t know the author. |
| C．He was moved because the author offered to help his daughter. |
| D．He felt nervous because he was worried about his daughter’s safety. |
What can we know about the author?
| A．He was a disabled man. |
| B．He worked in a convenience store. |
| C．He often helped people who were in trouble. |
| D．He usually drove too fast. |
According to the passage, the girl ____________.
| A．used to be a completely healthy person |
| B．was not allowed to do some fierce sports |
| C．usually felt sad about life due to her disability |
| D．was unwilling to communicate with a stranger |
What did the author’s gift refer to according to the girl’s father?
| A．The motorbike. | B．The wheelchair. |
| C．The blessing. | D．The ride. |
Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine.
New Holland Island
$400 million, 18 acres
Roman Abramovich
Investment Banker
Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years.
Musha Cay Island
$150 million, 700 acres
David Copperfield
Famous magician
World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort (度假胜地) with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night!
Mago Island
$10 million, 5,400 acres
Mel Gibson
Actor
Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty.
Mosquito Island
$15 million, 120 acres
Richard Branson
Investor
This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity (生物多样性) of this island.
James Island
$19 million, 780 acres
Craig McCaw
Cell phone pioneer
Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus.
Allan Island
$13.5 million, 292 acres
Paul Allen
Investor
The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker’s small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody?The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) ____________.
| A．investment banker | B．famous magician |
| C．actor | D．investor |
How many acres does the cheapest island of the six cover?
| A．120. | B．700. |
| C．780. | D．5,400. |
Who will be potential visitors to the James Island?
| A．Those who like adventures and treasure hunts. |
| B．Those who like rich cultural atmosphere. |
| C．Those who long to live in a luxurious apartment. |
| D．Those who agree with the environmentalists’ ideas. |
If you want to buy a personal island, you should pay a visit to _____________.
| A．the Mago Island | B．the Mosquito Island |
| C．the Allan Island | D．the James Island |
Monitoring the mood of a pet dog could be used as an early warning sign that an elderly owner is struggling to cope, a new report has claimed.
Researchers placed movement sensors (探测器) on dogs to track their behaviour and identified 17 distinct activities, including chewing, barking, sitting and digging.
This allowed them to map the normal behaviour of a healthy, happy dog, which means any changes can be monitored and could indicate an issue with their owner.
Nils Hammerla, part of the team from Newcastle University, said, “Humans and dogs have lived together in close relationships for thousands of years, which has led to strong emotional and social mutual bonds.”
“A dog’s physical and emotional dependence on their owner means that their well-being is likely to reflect that of their owner. Any changes such as the dog being walked less often, perhaps not being fed regularly, or simply demonstrating “unhappy” behaviour could be an early indicator for families that an older relative needs help. This is the first system of its kind which allows us to remotely monitor a dog’s behaviour in its natural setting.”
The team of academics, who presented their findings at the 2013 UbiComp conference in Zurich, created a hi-tech, waterproof (防水的) dog collar for the study.
Dr Cas Ladha, who led the study, said: “A lot of our research is focused on developing intelligent systems that can help older people to live independently for longer. But developing a system that reassures family and carers that an older relative is well without intruding on (侵犯) the individual’s privacy is difficult. This is just the first step but the idea behind this research is that it would allow us to support people without the need for cameras.”
A range of dogs was used for the study, as the team needed to map distinct behaviours that correlated between different breeds.From the text, we know that Nils Hammerla ____________.
| A．led the study and identified 17 activities of dogs |
| B．thinks some activities of dogs can reflect senior owners’ health |
| C．studied the relationship between humans and animals |
| D．developed a hi-tech, waterproof dog collar |
The underlined word “reassure” in Paragraph 7 probably means ____________.
| A．protect | B．comfort |
| C．warn | D．recognize |
Which of the following is an advantage of the intelligent system mentioned in the text?
| A．It can indicate that people aren’t well. |
| B．It can identify different activities of dogs. |
| C．It monitors an elderly owner without disturbing his privacy. |
| D．It lets people see the dog’s behavior clearly. |
Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
| A．Dogs’ mood can be an indicator of owners’ health |
| B．Strong bonds between dogs and their senior owners |
| C．Signs that your older relative needs help |
| D．A special way of taking care of the old |